Car-roof.



F. JAGER.

CAR ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1912 1,126,638, Patented Ja11.26,1915.

JAGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

elm-noon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Application filed May 22, 1912. Serial No. 698,932.

' To all whom it may concern a new and improved metallic roofing which is not subject to distortion or weaving when the car receives rough handling;.the provision of co-acting metallic roofing members in a car, each member being so constructed and arranged that when assembled sutlicient play room is given the members thereby vallowing for incidental torsion and strain; the provision of roofing members m a car provided with outer means designed to effect a yielding and at the same time water-tight connection at the juncture of the members, which together with supplementary inner means adapted to cooperate with the outer means render the roof positively weather proof; and in general the provision of novel roofing members which are simple in their construction and arrangement, and which when assembled results in an economical moisture proof roof construction.

, railway freight cars is common and'has gen- These and such othefiibjects as may hereinafter appear, or are incidental to my invention, I attain-by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form in the accom-v panying drawings, wherein Figure lis a perspectiveview of a portion of a car roof, embodying my invention, part of the runway being removed.

Figure 2 is a cross section of. one of the roof members. v

Figure 3 represents a detail cross-sectional view through a portion of the roof, showing a the means for fastening the sheets to the carline.

The employment of wood as the principal means of construction in outside roofs of erally proved unsatisfactory to the railroads and car companies, and such roofs when in service have developed. many objectionable features, chiefly among them being their leaky condition, which condition is wide spread and well known.

It is customary for shippers of certain classes of freight liable to damage from moisture, to apply a hose test to cars placed for loading on their sidings. This test consists generally in spraying the roof with water under pressure, and the resulting condition of the roof determines their acceptance or rejection of the placed car. This practice has developed one fact, that approximately seventy-five per cent. of the cars provided with wood roofs subjected to this test were unable to withstand it without some degree of leakage. This has necessitated the use of outside metal roofs which are gradually be ing substituted for the roofs above referred to; but still in many cases these metal roofs have eventually been found loose and open at their joints, no provision having been made for distortion or strain incidental to rough handling when in service.

In many instances where through bolts have been used to secure the metal sheets to carlines or the like, the bolts have become loosened, allowing moisture to work under. the head of the bolt and percolate into the car, and again in other instances the metallic roofs have been fastened at both their center and edges with the result that the roof had to give way somewhere under excessive strain;

These disadvantageshave been entirely overcome by my improved construction, and

. it will be seen that I provide a series of metallic sheetsjvhich e xtend substantially from ridge to caves and whicliioverlap and interlock at their edges, yet at the same time permitting suflicient play ITOOmftO allow for torsion and strain. In each sheet one edge is provided with an upwardly turned mar.- gin and the other edge with an upwardly rebent margin. The former isadapted to be inserted within the rebent margin at the adjacent edge of the next sheet, which rebent margin is Soconformed as to afford sufiicicnt play therein for the said bent margin.

55 lapped down and secured to the car.

While under ordinary circumstances this ar- -rangement .vould be considered weather proof,yet under abnormal weather conditions it is possible that water can seep between 5-two adjacent sheets at their covered edges.

To this end I have provided a novel inner duct member which serves the double pur" pose of draining such seepage, and also as a fastening means, thefixed edge being arranged under the free edge of the next adjacent sheet thereby preventing any possible leakage into a car should the fastening means become loosened.

This will readily be seen by referring now.

more particularly to my preferred construction as illustrated in Figure 1 in which I provide a car body 5, supporting roof members 6, and 'carlines 7. Extending from ridge to caves of the car are a series of out-'. side roofing members 8, the upper ends being covered in by a cover plate 9 extending longitudinally the roof of the car, and caps 9 -which are bolted to the ridge post 9 A runwaylO restsupon the cover plates and caps and'is secured to the car body in the usual manner. I

Each of'the roofmembers 8 is provided with an outer sheet 1]. having at one edge an upwardly bent margin 12 and at the other edge an upwardly rebent margin 13 substantially as illustrated in Figures 2 and 8. The lower end of the outer sheet may be lapped over the siding and the lapped end secured in any suitable manner if desired.

Preferably'welded adjacent one edgeto the under surface of the sheet 11- and on a line intermediate the margins is an inner sheet 14 corresponding in length to the outer sheet 11 and provided with a channel or duct 15 40 extending-along its length, said channel being positioned under and opposite the rebent margin 13. The inner sheet extends beyond the rebent margin as at 16 .and is adapted to be secured to a carline 7, leaving the edge 12 free.

In the successive steps of placing the roof members 8 in position to form a complete roof covering, one of the members is secured to a carline by bolts 17, the heads of which are accommodated in a recess 18 provided The recess is; so conformed that while the 1 upper edge of the margin 12- bears against the center line of the inner surface of the rebent margin, there isample play room to permit relative movement of the members,

-of the sheets.

operation is continued until the roofing is completed. By this method all the -fastening means in one sheet are covered over by j the .adjacent sheet in an economical manner and should any bolts become loosened, no water can possibly work into the car past their heads. The rebent margin being substantially of an inverted U shape allows for relative movement of the bent margin therein without which theroof would be subject to rupture. upon the upper edge of the bent margin effectually holds down the free edge of the sheet against displacement, without interfering in any way with relative movement Any moisture seeping past the upwardly bent margin is caught and drained by the channel.

The construction is inexpensive and strong, and capable of withstanding the hardest service conditions. Other advantages will occur to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following "1. In a car roof, the combination with a roof supporting means, of a plurality of roofing sheets united together attheir side edges by loose, hi gh-standing joints composed each of an upturned flange on the The rebent margin in bearing side edge of one sheet and a rebent portion on the side edge of the adjacent sheet, and

an underlying sheet attaching member con= nected "with. one of the sheets and extending past the joint to rest up against the underside of the adjacent sheet and upon the said roof supporting means, the web portion of the sheet attaching member being depressed substantially throughout its length to form a trough disposed below the plane of the roof and beneath the said joint, substantially as described.

2. In a car roof, the combination with a roof-supporting means, of a plurality of roofing sheets united together at their side edges by loose, high-standing joints composed each of an upturned flange on the side edge of one sheet and a rebent portion on the side edge of the adjacent sheet adapted to fit over the said upturned flange, and an underlying sheet attaching flange connected with one of the sheets and extending past the joint to rest up against the underside of the adjacent sheet and upon the roof supporting means for attachment thereto, and having iis Web portion depressed throughout its length to farm a. tmugh channel disposed below the plane of the moi and beneath the said joint, the said rebenb partion acting to hold the aijacent sheet down in position an Muscling; fianga,

tesfiimon I have hereunto sigfiefii my name in the presenes of 'bhetwo mbscribed. Witnesses.

FRANK EASTER; w, l messesz E HERBERT FOWKES,

"1. ERICIZS-GN. 

